diff --git a/LeftPanel.qml b/LeftPanel.qml
index de8777d0..fd9b880c 100644
--- a/LeftPanel.qml
+++ b/LeftPanel.qml
@@ -74,13 +74,23 @@ Rectangle {
     }
 
     width: (isMobile)? appWindow.width : 300
-    color: "black"
+    color: "transparent"
     anchors.bottom: parent.bottom
     anchors.top: parent.top
 
+    Image {
+        anchors.left: parent.left
+        anchors.right: parent.right
+        anchors.top: parent.top
+        height: panel.height
+        source: "images/leftPanelBg.jpg"
+        z: 1
+    }
+
     // card with monero logo
     Column {
         visible: true
+        z: 2
         id: column1
         height: 200
         anchors.left: parent.left
@@ -89,20 +99,6 @@ Rectangle {
         // @TODO: customDecorations?
         anchors.topMargin: (persistentSettings.customDecorations)? 50 : 0
 
-        Row {
-            Item {
-                x: 0
-                y: 0
-                width: 300
-                height: 232
-
-                Image {
-                    width: 300; height: 232
-                    source: "images/balanceGradient.jpg"
-                }
-            }
-        }
-
         Row {
             visible: true
             Item {
@@ -115,7 +111,7 @@ Rectangle {
                 width: 50 * scaleRatio
 
                 Image {
-                    width: 259; height:170
+                    width: 259; height: 170
                     fillMode: Image.PreserveAspectFit
                     source: "images/card-background.png"
                 }
@@ -242,12 +238,13 @@ Rectangle {
 
     Rectangle {
         id: menuRect
+        z: 2
         anchors.left: parent.left
         anchors.right: parent.right
         anchors.bottom: parent.bottom
         anchors.top: (isMobile)? parent.top : column1.bottom
         anchors.topMargin: (isMobile)? 0 : 32
-        color: "black"
+        color: "transparent"
 
 
         Flickable {
diff --git a/components/MenuButton.qml b/components/MenuButton.qml
index 555a03b9..f3ba56f6 100644
--- a/components/MenuButton.qml
+++ b/components/MenuButton.qml
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ Rectangle {
         return offset
     }
 
-    color: "black"
+    color: "transparent"
     property bool present: !under || under.checked || checked || under.numSelectedChildren > 0
     height: present ? ((appWindow.height >= 800) ? 44 * scaleRatio  : 38 * scaleRatio ) : 0
 
diff --git a/images/balanceGradient.jpg b/images/balanceGradient.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 24ae02cc..00000000
Binary files a/images/balanceGradient.jpg and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/images/leftPanelBg.jpg b/images/leftPanelBg.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a388288d
Binary files /dev/null and b/images/leftPanelBg.jpg differ
diff --git a/qml.qrc b/qml.qrc
index c8725fd1..25c50f86 100644
--- a/qml.qrc
+++ b/qml.qrc
@@ -174,7 +174,6 @@
         <file>images/moneroIcon-trans56x56.png</file>
         <file>images/question.png</file>
         <file>images/expand.png</file>
-        <file>images/balanceGradient.jpg</file>
         <file>images/titlebarGradient.jpg</file>
         <file>images/titlebarLogo.png</file>
         <file>images/menuArrow.png</file>
@@ -187,5 +186,6 @@
         <file>components/qmldir</file>
         <file>components/InlineButton.qml</file>
         <file>images/lightning.png</file>
+        <file>images/leftPanelBg.jpg</file>
     </qresource>
 </RCC>